Trump calls media ‘treasonous scum’ over reports of low Iran war munitions

Comments are the latest swipe by US president against critical media coverage of what experts call troubling shortages.United States President Donald Trump has again pushed back on media reports detailing dangerously low munitions stockpiles as the Iran" class="entity-link entity-event" data-entity-id="38635" data-entity-type="event">US-Israel war with Iran stretches into its seventh month.In a post on his Truth Social account, Trump said the military was producing munitions at “levels never seen before” and has “far more than we could ever use”.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3ABC ‘fighting back’, urging US public to defend stations amid FCC scrutinylist 2 of 3ABC News says FCC is carrying out intimidation campaign to shape coveragelist 3 of 3Trump threatens to report journalist Kristen Welker to broadcast regulatorend of listHe also again took aim at media outlets that have reported on US shortages of both offensive and defensive weapons, calling them “treasonous scum” who refuse to “accurately report” on the war with Iran.Trump made similar comments about news reports of munitions shortages in August, after the Washington Post reported he had grown frustrated with Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth over the supply shortages.At the time, Trump said those reports were “treasonous statements” and promised whoever had leaked the information to the press would be “hunted down” and that “long term jail sentences will be sought”.Numerous US news outlets have reported on the toll the Iran war has had on US military munitions and other supplies, especially those needed for protecting US bases and regional allies against Iran-launched missiles and drones.The reports have been backed by experts, including the Washington, DC-based Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), which said in July that the US had just more than a third of its Patriot missile interceptors left, and about half its Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) interceptors.Large portions of offensive weapons stockpiles, including Tomahawk missiles, Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles (JASSMs) and Precision Strike Missile (PrSMs), have also been used in the war, according to CSIS.Even with a slate of new Trump administration agreements with defence contractors meant to accelerate production, experts have warned that replenishing US supplies of key weapons could take at least two years.